Plato and Moral Authority

Kathryn Kelsven Dr. David Sgarlatta Humanities 253 December 21, 2012 Comparing Two Readings After reading Plato’s Apology and Leviticus 17-27, I found several differences in the way people are judged for the crimes they have committed as well as, by what are actually considered crimes or sins. I want to explore these differences by asking two questions to each reading: What kind of behavior constitutes as a sin or a crime? What is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? In Plato’s Apology, what constitutes as a sin or a crime?Socrates was accused of being a â€Å"doer of evil, and a corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the state, and has other divinities of his own† (Apology 1). These are all things that Meletus has brought Socrates to court for. These are all these that are considered to be a crime to Meletus and the Athenians throughout Apology, as Socrates proves this by continuously taking each item he is accus ed of and asking Meletus and the Athenians if they believe it to be true. In Leviticus 17-27, what constitutes as a sin or a crime?Throughout the reading there are several different times where the LORD speaks to Moses and tells him to let the people know that if they do not follow his command then they are disobeying him. In Leviticus chapter 22:1-2, it states. † The LORD said to Moses, â€Å"Tell Aaron and his sons to respect the sacred offerings which the Israelites consecrate to me; else they will profane my holy name. I am the LORD. †(Leviticus 22). Here, disrespecting a sacred offering is considered a sin. There are also many other examples of what is considered a sin.In chapter 19:4, â€Å"†Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the LORD, am your God. †(Leviticus 19). In this case, you should not worship idols or make idols because that would be going against the LORD who is your God. Also in Chapter 17:3-4 it says, †Å"Any Israelite who slaughters an ox or a sheep or a goat, whether in the camp or outside of it, without first bringing it to the entrance of the meeting tent to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of his Dwelling, shall be judged guilty of bloodshed; and for this, such a man shall be cut off from among his people. (Leviticus 17). In this section, anyone who does not first present his killing as an offering is automatically considered guilty for bloodshed and is cut off from the people. All of these examples show what are considered sins in Leviticus, and there are many more. In Plato’s Apology, what is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? Socrates is brought before judges. After asking Meletus what he means by calling him an Atheist, Meletus says, â€Å"I assure you, judges, that he does not believe in them; for he says that the sun is stone, and the moon earth. (Apology 3). Meletus is trying to prove to the judges, being the ones that w ill make the ultimate decision of what happens, that Socrates does not believe in any gods. In the very beginning of all of this, after Socrates makes his opening statement, he says, â€Å"Tell the judges, then, who is their improver; for you must know, as you have taken the pains to discover their corrupter, and are citing and accusing me before them† (Apology 1). Again the judges are to be told something in order to prove a point.This all shows that in Plato’s Apology the judges are the moral authority behind laws and legal judgments. In Leviticus 17-27, what is the source of moral authority behind laws and legal judgments? In each chapter we see that the very first statement is always â€Å"The LORD said to Moses† (Leviticus 17-27). This statement is not only at the beginning of every chapter but it is also throughout the chapters. Each time this statement is made it is followed by a law that the LORD is giving to the people. There will also follow some sort of punishment if that law is not followed. The LORD said to Moses,†Tell the Israelites: Anyone, whether an Israelite or an alien residing in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall be put to death† (Leviticus 20). This is a perfect example. The LORD tells Moses what the law is and then follows up with how the people will be punished if not to follow the law; in this case they will be put to death. The LORD is clearly the one and only one to be of any kind of authority when it comes to laws and legal judgments. Both of these readings have very different ideas as to what a sin or a crime is, as well as who is the authority on the laws that have been made.Leviticus is based on there being one authoritarian who decides the laws and decides your punishments if you disobey those laws. In Leviticus you have no way to argue against you convictions. What the LORD says, goes. Also, in Leviticus there are several different criteria for what is considered a sin as com pared to Apology, where there are just a few things brought up that are considered to be a sin or a crime. Apology is based off convincing the people or the judges of what is right or wrong and letting them decide your fate. You have a chance to fight for yourself and prove yourself to be innocent.

Cosmetic Surgery Is Moving Toward Multiethnic Beauty Ideals Essay

â€Å"The increasing number of nonwhites getting cosmetic surgery is helping society accelerate from a crawl to a full-bore sprint toward one truly melted, fusion community.† In the following viewpoint, Anupreeta Das questions whether minorities go under the knife to look more Caucasian. She suggests that as ethnically ambiguous beauties emerge in entertainment and the media, many African American, Asian, and Latino cosmetic-surgery patients want changes that harmonize with their ethnic features. In fact, Das states more surgeons today are specializing in race-specific procedures. This blending and reducing of racial characteristics through cosmetic surgery allow minorities to fit in with beauty standards that are moving away from a Caucasian ideal, she claims. Das is a journalist based in Boston. As you read, consider the following questions: 1.As stated by Das, how do rhinoplasty procedures differ among Caucasians, African Americans, and Asian Americans? 2.Why did Jewish people embrace cosmetic surgery, according to the viewpoint? 3.According to Das, what do critics say about the increase of ethnic models in the fashion industry? For almost a century, the women who have turned to cosmetic surgery to achieve beauty—or some Hollywood-meets-Madison Avenue version of it—were of all ages, shapes, and sizes but almost always of one hue: white. But now, when there seems to be nothing that a few thousand dollars can’t fix, women of color are clamoring in skyrocketing numbers to have their faces and bodies nipped, snipped, lifted, pulled, and tucked. This is a step forward, right? In the land of opportunity, we applaud when barriers break down and more people get to partake in the good life, as it were. There are many explanations for the new willingness of minorities to go under the knife: their swelling numbers and disposable income, the popularization of cosmetic surgery and its growing acceptance as a normal beauty routine,  and its relative affordability. What’s significant are the procedures minorities are choosing. More often than not, they’re electing to surgically narrow the span of their nostrils and perk up their noses or suture their eyelids to create an extra fold. Or they’re sucking out the fat from buttocks and hips that, for their race or ethnicity, are typically plump. It all could lead to one presumption: These women are making themselves look more white—or at least less ethnic. But perhaps not to the extent some suppose. â€Å"People want to keep their ethnic identity,† says Dr. Arthur Shektman, a Wellesley-based plastic surgeon. â€Å"They want some change, but they don’t really want a white nose on a black face.† Shektman says not one of his minority patients—they make up about 30 percent of his practice, up from about 5 percent 10 years ago—has said, â€Å"I want to look white.† He believes this is evidence that the dominant Caucasian-centered idea of blond, blue-eyed beauty is giving way to multiple â€Å"ethnic standards of beauty,† with the likes of Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, and Lucy Liu as poster girls. â€Å"No way† is the answer Tamar Williams of Dorchester gives when asked if her desire to surgically reduce the width of her nose and get a perkier tip was influenced by a Caucasian standard. â€Å"Why would I want to look white?† Growing up, the 24-year-old African-American bank teller says, she longed for a nose that wasn’t quite so wide or flat or big for her face. â€Å"It wasn’t that I didn’t like it,† Williams says. â€Å"I just wanted to change it.† Hoping to become a model, she thinks the nose job she got in November [2007] will bring her a lifetime of happiness and opportunity. â€Å"I was always confident. But now I can show off my nose.† Yet others are less convinced that the centuries-old fixation on Caucasian beauty—from the Mona Lisa to Pamela Anderson—has slackened. â€Å"I’m not ready to put to rest the idea that the white ideal has not permeated our psyches,† says Janie Ward, a professor of Africana Studies at Simmons College. â€Å"It is still shaping our expectations of what is beautiful.† A Peculiar Fusion Whether or not the surging number of minority patients is influenced by a white standard, one point comes with little doubt: The $12.4 billion-a-year plastic surgery industry is adapting its techniques to meet this demand. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), for example, has in recent months held meetings on subjects ranging from Asian upper-eyelid surgery to so-called ethnic rhinoplasty. The discussion will come to Boston this summer [2007] when the academy will host a five-day event that will include sessions on nose reshaping techniques tailored to racial groups. And increasingly, plastic surgeons are wooing minorities—who make up one-third of the US population—by advertising specializations in race-specific surgeries and using a greater number of nonwhite faces on their Web sites. It could be that these new patients are not trying to erase the more obvious markers of their ethnic heritage or race, but simply to reduce them. In the process, they’re pursuing ethnic and racial ambiguity. Take Williams. With her new smaller nose and long, straight hair, the African-American woman seems to be toying with the idea of ambiguity. And maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. The intermingling of ethnicities and races—via marriages, friendships, and other interactions—has created a peculiar fusion in this country. It’s the great mishmash where Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are celebrated in one long festive spirit, where weddings mix Hindi vows with a chuppah, where California-Vietnamese is a cuisine, where Eminem can be â€Å"black† and Beyonce can go blond. And the increasing number of nonwhites getting cosmetic surgery is helping society accelerate from a crawl to a full-bore sprint toward one truly melted, fusion community. There were 11.5 million cosmetic procedures done in 2005, including surgical ones such as face lifts and rhinoplasties and nonsurgical ones such as Botox shots and collagen injections. One out of every five patients was of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent (separate statistics aren’t available for white versus nonwhite Hispanics). According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of minority patients undergoing cosmetic procedures increased from 300,000 in 1997 to 2 million in 2005.  Although the total demand for cosmetic procedures also increased—from 2 million in 1997 to 11.5 million in 2005—the rate of increase for minorities is higher than the overall rate. (Women account for more than nine-tenths of all cosmetic procedures.) Different ethnic and racial groups favor different procedures. Statistics compiled by the AAFPRS show that in 2005, more than six out of every 10 African-Americans getting cosmetic surgery had nose jobs. Unlike rhinoplasties performed on Caucasians, which may fix a crooked bridge or shave off a hump, doctors say African-American and Asian-American nose reshaping usually leads to narrower nostrils, a higher bridge, and a pointier tip. For Asian-Americans, eyelid surgery—either the procedure to create an eyelid fold, often giving the eye a more wide-open appearance, or a regular eye lift to reduce signs of aging—is popular. According to the AAFPRS, 50 percent of Asian patients get eyelid surgery. Dr. Min Ahn, a Westborough-based plastic surgeon who performs Asian eyelid surgery, says only about half of the Asian population is born with some semblance of an eyelid crease. â€Å"Even if Asians have a preexisting eyelid crease, it is lower and the eyelid is fuller.† For those born without the crease, he says, creating the double eyelid is â€Å"so much a part of the Asian culture right now.† It’s probable that this procedure is driving the Asian demand for eyelid surgeries. Breast augmentation and rhinoplasty top the list of preferred procedures for patients of Hispanic origin, followed by liposuction. Asian-Americans also choose breast implants, while breast reduction—the one procedure eligible for insurance coverage—is the third most preferred choice for African-American women after nose reshaping and liposuction. Doctors say African-American women typically use liposuction to remove excess fat from their buttocks and hips—two areas in which a disproportionate number of women of this race store fat. The Culture of Self-Improvement Of course, the assimilative nature of society in general has always demanded a certain degree of conformity and adaptation of every group that landed on American shores. People have adjusted in ways small and large—such as by changing their names and learning new social mores. Elizabeth Haiken, a San Francisco Bay area historian and the author of the 1997 book Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery, says ethnic minorities may use plastic surgery as a way to fit in to the mainstream, just as another group used it in the early 20th century. â€Å"The first group to really embrace cosmetic surgery was the Jews,† says Haiken. Her research indicates that during the 1920s, when cosmetic surgery first became popular in the United States, being Jewish was equated with â€Å"being ugly and un-American,† and the Jewish nose was the first line of attack. Most rhinoplasties therefore sought to reduce its distinct characteristics and bring it more in line with the preferre d straighter shape of the Anglo-Saxon nose. That people would go to such extremes to change their appearance should come as no surprise. â€Å"Going back to early 20th-century culture, there is a deep-seated conviction that you are what you look like,† Haiken says. â€Å"It’s not your family, your birth, or your heritage, it’s all about you. And your looks and appearance and the way you present yourself will determine who you are.† In the initial sizing-up, the face is the fortune. Physical beauty becomes enmeshed with success and happiness. Plastic surgeons commonly say that minorities today choose surgery for the same reasons as whites—to empower, better, and preserve themselves. â€Å"It’s the universal desire to maintain youthfulness, and it doesn’t change from group to group,† says Dr. Frank Fechner, a Worcester-based plastic surgeon. The culture of self-improvement that surrounds Americans has also made plastic surgery more permissible in recent years. â€Å"Making oneself over—one’s home, one’s car, one’s breasts—is now a part of the American life cycle,† writes New York Times columnist Alex Kuczynski in her 2006 book, Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession With Cosmetic Surgery. â€Å"Doctors have sold us on the notion that surgery †¦ is merely part of the journey  toward enhancement, the beauty outside ultimately reflecting the beauty within.† Nothing captures this journey better than the swarm of plastic surgery TV shows such as ABC’s Extreme Makeover, Fox’s The Swan, and FX’s Nip/Tuck. These prime-time televised narratives of desperation and triumph, with the scalpel in the starring role of savior, have also helped make plastic surgery more widely accepted. Through sanitized, pain-free, 60-minute capsules showcasing the tr ansformation of ordinary folks, reality TV has sold people on the notion that the Cinderella story is a purchasable, everyday experience that everyone deserves. Mei-Ling Hester, a 43-year-old Taiwanese-American hairdresser on Newbury Street, believes in plastic surgery as a routine part of personal upkeep. So when her eyelids started to droop and lose their crease, she rushed to Ahn, the plastic surgeon. He sucked the excess fat out while maintaining, he says, â€Å"the Asian characteristic† of her eyelids. Hester also regularly gets Botox injected into her forehead and is considering liposuction. â€Å"I feel great inside,† she says. With hair tinted a rich brown and eyes without lines or puffiness, her beauty is groomed and serene. â€Å"I work out, I eat right, I use good products on my face. It was worth it,† she says of her surgery. Although Hester says she pursues plastic surgery for betterment and self-fulfillment, she recognizes her privileged status as someone born with the double eyelids and sharper nose so prized in much of the Asian community. â€Å"I just got lucky, because if you look at my sister, sheâ₠¬â„¢s got a flat nose.† Another sister was born without the eyelid crease and had it surgically created, says Hester. The concept of the double eyelid as beautiful comes from the West. â€Å"For many, many years, the standards for beauty have been Western standards that say you have to have a certain shape to the eye, and the eyelid has to have a fold,† says Dr. Ioannis Glavas, a facial plastic surgeon specializing in eyelid surgery, with practices in Cambridge, New York City, and Athens. Sometimes, the demand for bigger eyes can be extreme. Glavas recalls one young Asian-American woman he saw who, in addition to wanting a double eyelid procedure, asked him to snip off some of the bottom lid to expose more of the white. â€Å"I had to say no to her,† he says. Glavas says both Asian women and men demand the double eyelid surgery because it is a way of looking less different by reducing an obvious ethnic feature. Presumably, Asian patients aren’t aiming to look white by getting double eyelids (after all, African-Americans and other minorities have double eyelids), but the goal is social and cultural assimilation, or identification with some dominant aesthetic standard. Across-the-Board Appeal In recent years, the dominant aesthetic standard in American society has moved away from the blond, blue-eyed Caucasian woman to a more ethnically ambiguous type. Glossy magazines are devoting more pages to this melting-pot aesthetic, designed (like the new Barbies) for across-the-board appeal. Today’s beautiful woman comes in many colors, from ivory to cappuccino to ebony. Her hair can be dark and kinky, and she might even show off a decidedly curvy derriere—a feature that has actually started to prompt some white women to get gluteal augmentation, or butt implants. However, critics say these are superficial changes to what is essentially a Caucasian-inspired ideal—the big-eyed, narrow-nosed, pillow-lipped, large-breasted, boyishly thin apparition. â€Å"There has been a subtle change in the kind of models you see in Victoria’s Secret catalogs or Vogue,† says Dr. Fred Stucker, the head of facial plastic surgery at Louisiana State University, Shreveport. But â€Å"they take the black girl who has the high cheekbones, narrow nose, and pouty lips.† It’s not uncommon, he says, to find â€Å"a white face with dark skin.† Going by the recent surge of minorities demanding plastic surgery, it is plausible that this attempt by canny marketers and media types to promote a darker-skinned but still relatively uniform ideal is working. After all, they are simply following the money. According to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, which compiles an annual report on the â€Å"multicultural economy† in the United States, minorities had a combined buying power of several trillion dollars in 2006. In 2007, the  disposable income of Hispanics is expected to rise to $863 billion, while African-Americans will collectively have $847 billion to spend. By 2010, Asians are expected to have buying power totaling $579 billion. And all of these groups are showing a greater willingness to spend it on themselves and the things they covet, including cosmetic surgery. Katie Marcial represents exactly this kind of person. The 50-year-old African-American is newly single, holds a well-paying job in Boston, and has no qualms about spending between $10,000 and $20,000 on a tummy tuck and breast surgery. â€Å"I’m doing this mainly because I’m economically able to do so,† says Marcial, a Dorchester resident whose clear skin and youthful attire belie her age. With her three children all grown, her money is hers to spend. â€Å"I can indulge in a little vanity,† she says. Marcial says she chose a young, Asian-American doctor to perform her surgery because â€Å"I thought she would know the latest techniques and be sensitive to ethnic skin.† Historically, plastic surgery has been tailored to Caucasian women. Glavas says that in medical texts, the measurements of symmetry and balance—two widely recognized preconditions of beauty—were made with Caucasian faces in mind. Such practices led to a general sense among minorities that plastic surgery was for whites and kept them away from tinkering with their faces and bodies. But even as the industry now adapts to its new customers, plastic surgeons are divided over whether surgical specialization in various ethnicities and races necessarily caters better to the needs of minority patients. Dr. Julius Few, a plastic surgeon at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, hails the fact that plastic surgeons are customizing their procedures to focus on minorities, â€Å"so it’s not just the one-size-fits-all mentality of saying, well, if somebody’s coming in, regardless, they’re going to look Northern European coming out.† He even sees â€Å"a sort of subspecialty† emerging in various ethnic procedures. Meanwhile, Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, who is chief of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Boston University Medical Center and has a large number of nonwhite patients, is skeptical of the notion of specialization in ethnic and racial cosmetic surgery. â€Å"It strikes me more as a marketing tool  than a real specialization,† he says. In 1991, Michael Jackson crooned â€Å"It don’t matter if you’re black or white.† Jackson’s message about transcending race may have won singalong supporters, but his plastic surgeries did not. His repeated nose jobs and lightened skin color (he has maintained he is not bleaching but is using makeup to cover up the signs of vitiligo, a skin condition) were perceived by minorities—especially African-Americans—as an attempt to look white. Doctors say that â€Å"Don’t make me look like Michael Jackson† is a popular refrain among patients. â€Å"People were put off by dramatic surgeries and preferred subtle changes,† says Shektman, the Wellesley-based plastic surgeon. The New Melting-Pot Aesthetic Choices have expanded since then. Minorities can now hold themselves up against more ethnically and racially ambiguous role models that may still trace their roots to the once-dominant Caucasian standard but are becoming more composite and blended. â€Å"The concept of ideal beauty is moving toward a mix of ethnic features,† says plastic surgeon Ahn, a Korean-American who is married to a Caucasian. â€Å"And I think it’s better.† The push toward ethnic and racial ambiguity should perhaps be expected, because the cultural churn in American society is producing it anyway. Sure, promoting ambiguous beauty is a strategic move on the part of marketing gurus to cover their bases and appeal to all groups. But it’s also a reflection of reality. Not only are minorities expected to make up about half the American population by 2050, but the number of racially mixed people is increasing tremendously. The number of mixed-race children has been growing enough since the 1970s that in 2000 the Census Bureau created a new section in which respondents could self-identify their race; nearly 7 million people (2.4 percent of the population) identified themselves as belonging to more than one race. For minorities, this new melting-pot beauty aesthetic—perhaps the only kind of aesthetic standard that befits a multiethnic and multicultural society—is  an achievable and justifiable goal. Increasingly, advertisements use models whose blue eyes and dreadlocked hair or almond-shaped eyes and strong cheekbones leave you wondering about their ethnic origins. The ambiguous model might have been dreamed up on a computer or picked from the street. But advertisers value her because she is a blended product—someone everyone can identify with because she cannot be immediately defined by race or ethnicity. By surgically blending or erasing the most telling ethnic or racial characteristics, cosmetic surgery makes ambiguity possible and allows people of various ethnicities and races to fit in. For the Jewish community in the 1920s, fitting in may have had to do with imitating a Caucasian beauty ideal. For minorities today, it’s a melting-pot beauty ideal that is un iquely American. How appropriate this ambiguity is, in a culture that expects conformity even as it celebrates diversity. Das, Anupreeta. â€Å"Cosmetic Surgery Is Moving Toward Multiethnic Beauty Ideals.† The Culture of Beauty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from â€Å"The Search for Beautiful.† Boston Globe 21 Jan. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. Document URL http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&dviSelectedPage=&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=&displayGroups=&sortBy=&zid=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010659218&source=Bookmark&u=lawr16325&jsid=8af464626ea9692fea0cb02ef9c121a3 Gale Document Number: GALE|EJ3010659218

Ashes Ashes We All Fall Down Essay

Ashs, Ashes, We All Fall Down Essay, Research Paper Bubonic Plague I buried with my ain custodies five of my kids in a individual grave. No bells. No cryings. This is the terminal of the universe. ( Deaux, 1969 ) These are the words of Italian writer Agniol di Tura, but they reflect the emotions of an full state in the 1300 s. It was at that clip that Europe was struck by the hardest blow that a pestilence would of all time swing. The Bubonic Plague hit Europe with a fierceness that could neer hold been predicted. Spread of the Plague Through Europe The spread of the Bubonic Plague in the 14th century happened rapidly as a consequence of hapless life conditions, trade paths and ignorance of the disease. The first reported instance of the pestilence was in 543 when it hit Constantinople. ( Hecker, 1992 ) This was a minor eruption and there were others similar to it, but since no one knew where it came from and so few were deceasing from it, no 1 took the clip to happen out. But so in 1334, an epidemic struck the northeasterly Chinese state of Hopei that people couldn t ignore. It killed up to 90 % of the population- around 5,000,000 people. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) This caught people s attending, but by so it was excessively tardily. Sadly, some of the events that aided the rapid spread of the Plague could hold been avoided. In 1347, in the southern Ukraine near the Black Sea, the native people began deceasing of a cryptic disease. They suffered from concerns, failing, and many staggered when they tried to walk. But most evidently, each carried a common hallmark of the plague- they all began to develop big puffinesss of the lymph nodes in the inguen and underhand countries. Fear and choler at the disease gave manner to accusal. The indigens of the country pointed the incrimination for their expletive at the Italian bargainers who traveled in and out of their ports. Convinced that they were the ground for their agony, the indigens attacked the ports. After a hebdomad of combat, the indigens found their soldiers deceasing of the disease. Hoping to infect the Italians, the indigens used slingshots that where usually reserved for big bowlders or dead animate beings to throw dead or deceasing organic structures of those infected with the pestilence over the barrier. They succeeded. When the bargainers fled to Sicily, they carried the pestilence with them. ( Strayer, 1972 ) The pestilence foremost arrived in Messina, Sicily in October 1347, but it would non halt at that place. Aware of the rate at which the pestilence would distribute, the Sicilian functionaries tried to incorporate the disease by coercing the 12 work forces on board who were left alive to remain on the ship. But black rats, which carried fleas that where contaminated with the pestilence, managed to acquire off the ship and come in the metropolis. Within eight months, the pestilence had spread throughout the island and the rats which carried the pestilence had boarded ships that were headed for mainland Italy and the remainder of Europe. ( Strayer, 1972 ) Despite the attempts of metropolis functionaries, the pestilence continued to distribute. They had ignored it excessively long, now it was out of their custodies. The pestilence spread through port metropoliss rapidly because it is transmitted by rat fleas. The fleas, which spread the pestilence, would catch the bacteriums from a rat who had already acquired the disease. The bacteriums would so wholly fills the tummy of the flea, doing it so the flea could no longer digest any blood. It would so be so hungry that it would sucks blood into its already full tummy, coercing it to regurgitate, therefore distributing the bacterium. ( Walker, 1992 ) A disease that is spread by rats would likely non present a large job to most topographic points in the 21st century, but in the fourteenth century there were many rats aboard most ships and few people took notice to them, as they were such a common fixture in the dirty life wonts. Because people were so accustomed to them, these gnawers carried the pestilence from port to port with no 1 recognizing that they were the confederate to the disease which was doing the decease of 1000000s. Myths As a consequence of the multitudes that were deceasing, people would readily accept any account of the cause of the pestilence as truth. A physician by the name of Galen had one of the most widely recognized theories. He said that the pestilence was spread by miasmas, or toxicant bluess coming from the swamps which corrupted the air. Peoples were urged to go forth low, boggy countries or at least remain inside their places, covering their Windowss. Because people believed that foul smelling air caused the pestilence, many walked around transporting corsages of flowers to their olfactory organs, believing that this would salvage them from decease. ( Strayer, 1972 ) Some thought that the pestilence could acquire into the organic structure through the pores in their tegument. As a consequence of this, many people refused to bath during the clip of the pestilence, as they felt that rinsing their organic structures would open the pores further, giving the pestilence even more chance to infect them. Though many people chose to accept these theories for their surface value and take the safeguards suggested, few found consolation in them as they watched those around them die. Some people felt that the pestilence had come as a signifier of penalty from God. A group of persons known as the flagellants insisted that it was the wickednesss of adult male that had compelled God to penalize them. Flagellants could be identified by the flagellum that they carried with them. This was a wooden stick with three or four leather pieces attached, each with an inch long spike of Fe at the terminal. The flagellants would run into in the centre of a town and impulse others to fall in them in their rites. Each member would deprive from the waist up and so would get down to flog himself with his flagellum. They did this as a signifier of repentance and believed that God would forgive them and maintain the pestilence from them every bit long as they showed their compunction. This ritual would happen at least one time a twenty-four hours for three yearss before the group would travel on to the following small town where they would being once more, hopefully increasing their Numberss ( Biel, 1989 ) . Some who were seeking for replies joined the flagellants, but they shortly found that they faced the same fate as the remainder. Symptoms The pestilence had many hallmark symptoms, but at first the victim could look to hold a figure of morbid. The first symptoms of the pestilence include concern, sickness, iciness, emesis, and hurting articulations. ( Strayer, 1972 ) These traits are besides common to other diseases, but in a pestilence septic metropolis, anyone who possessed these traits was considered doomed. However, shortly after undertaking the disease, the symptoms would go more obvious. Within a twenty-four hours or two, the puffinesss appeared. They were hard, painful, firing balls on the cervix, under the arm, and besides the interior thighs. Soon they turned black, disconnected unfastened, and began to seep cunt and blood. These puffinesss, called buboes, gave the disease its name and may hold grown to the size of an orange. ( Garrett, 1994 ) The puffinesss appeared because one time a individual became infected, the B, Yersina plague, made its manner into the lymph nodes. There, it would infect and destruct cells of the immune system, and in the procedure, it would besides trip a concatenation of chemical reactions in which the organic structure would try to throw out the encroachers through pustules and furuncles that emerge on the tegument. ( Garrett, 1994 ) Once the bobues appeared, the victim would get down to shed blood internally. Blood vass would interrupt, go forthing the blood underneath the tegument to run free. Once dried, the blood would turn black and leave black blotchs on the victim s tegument. Thus giving the disease it s most popular moniker, Black Death. In most terrible instances, decease would normally occur within two yearss after the bobues had appeared. This, frequently times, was non shortly plenty for the victim. Effectss The Bubonic Plague had a great consequence on households, the church, and besides the outlook of society during the in-between ages. The decease of an estimated 1/3 of the civilised universe in the mid-14th century ( Armstrong, 1981 ) was certain to alter every facet of life for the people populating at that clip. During the pestilence, there was a general diminution in morality, which finally led to the church losing most of it s authorization. In portion, people didn t listen to the church because they didn Ts privation to hear Torahs that they knew wouldn T be carried out. But the chief ground was that many lost religion after watching their friends and household dices such atrocious deceases. The lost religion of the people can be seen through their art. In many plants, alternatively of celestial existences naming the dead to heaven, decease was represented as an aged adult female in a black cloak and wild, snake-like hair.. and a scythe to roll up her victims. ( Strayer, 1983 ) The regulations of the church itself besides changed during the pestilence. Rome announced an exigency relaxation of canonical jurisprudence, allowing the deceasing to squeal aloud to God or to any individual who would listen, even a adult female. ( Deaux, 1969 ) This was announced because functionaries of the church were deceasing off at the same rate as the remainder of the community and people were deceasing without the Sacrament of Penance. In the clip of the pestilence, non merely was faith flips aside, but besides morality as a whole. Italian writer, Boccaccia, wrote about the mortality of the society in the fourteenth century. With so much affliction and wretchedness, all fear for the Torahs, both of God and of adult male, fell apart and dissolved, because the curates and executed of the Torahs were either dead of ailment like everyone else, or were left with so few functionaries that they were unable to make their responsibilities ; as a consequence, everyone was free to make whatever they pleased. ( Biel, 1989 ) Many people felt that decease was inevitable and hence decided to pass nevertheless many yearss they may hold left alive the manner that would most delight them. Many found comfort in traveling from tavern from tavern, imbibing and much as they wished and listening to and speaking merely about pleasant things. Others threw eternal parties in their places and welcomes all who would come. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) These parties were easy to happen because everyone behaved as if they were traveling to decease shortly, so they cared nil about themselves nor their properties. As a consequence, people lost all sense of duty as they felt that all of their properties and finally their lives, every bit good as the lives of those they cared about, would be taken off from them. Despair filled the people with the loss of so many that they loved and many of them went into a province of denial. Such was the hurt that an order was base on ballss that would non let public proclamations of decease because the sick could hear them, and the healthy took fear every bit good as the sick. ( Garret, 1994 ) In fact, in Florence, it was prohibited to even print the figure of the dead for fright that the life would lose hope. ( Biel, 1989 ) Even with these safeguards, the decease of 1000000s could non be hidden from those that survived it. The odor of the dead fill the air and there were few people who could non assist but give up. Most people failed to see value in anything but their life. Peoples were so positive that they would shortly be faced with decease, that ownerships ment nil to them. Many times, fright of the pestilence would be much greater than the desire for ownerships and the houses of the dead, or sometimes those who were merely really ill, would be burned to the land to forestall the spread of the disease. ( Garret, 1994 ) Boccaccia said that such was the figure of houses full of goods that had no proprietor, that it was astonishing. Then the inheritors to this wealth began to turn up. And person who had antecedently had nil all of a sudden found himself rich. ( Biel, 1989 ) Many houses were left vacant after the proprietors died because people thought that everything interior was contaminated with the pestilence. Peoples felt that their wellness was of much more importance than anything that person could posses. As a consequence of the great fright that people had of the pestilence, many households fell apart. Boccaccia talk about this in the debut to his book, The Decameron: The ordeal had so withered the Black Marias of work forces and adult females that brother abandoned brother, and the uncle abandoned his nephew and the sister her brother and many times, married womans abandoned their hubbies, and, what is even more unbelievable and barbarous, female parent and male parents abandoned their kids and would decline to see them. ( Biel, 1989 ) The state of affairss that Boccaccia radius of were non uncommon. Writer Francisco Patriarch said that may people died of hungriness, for when person took ailment to his bed, the other residents in panic told him: I m traveling for the physician ; and softly locked the door from the outside and didn T come back. ( Deaux, 1969 ) The precedences of everyone became rearranged as they all feared for their lives. Peoples cared nil of other people, they merely wanted to populate and they did what they had to make to maintain their lives. One Italian author said that things had reached such a point, that people cared no more for the decease of other people than they did for the decease of a caprine animal. ( Armstrong, 1981 ) Future With all the progresss that the universe has made in the past seven centuries, it is unthinkable that such a catastrophe could take topographic point once more. Rarely in the US do you happen a topographic point where rat and adult male live so harmoniously with one another. But other parts of the universe are non so fortunate. The most recent eruption of Bubonic Plague was in India and it didn t go on a few hundred old ages ago. It happened in 1994. The job with solved with a $ 30 million loan from the World Bank which they used to relocated 52 small towns which the authorities saw as job countries. Research workers think that the eruption was caused by an temblor that stirred up the B which can put hibernating in the dirt for two or three decennaries, but they say that the conditions of the small town favorite invasion. Relatively few people died in this recent outbreak thanks to what one small town leaders calls beautiful antibiotics. With five yearss of unwritten antibiotic therapy utilizing a inexpensive, readily available drug called Achromycin, bubonic pestilence is 100 % curable ( Garret, 1994 ) . Thankss to medical scientific discipline, the muss in India was cleared up with really few deceases and the universe can be grateful that they will neer hold to see life as 1000000s in the fourteenth century did. Mentions Armstrong, K ( 1981 ) . The coming of the pestilence to Italy. New York: Weber Printing Biel, T ( 1989 ) . The black decease. San Diego: Aglow Books. Deaux, G. ( 1969 ) . The black decease. New York: Weybright and Talley Ellis, E. A ; Esler, A. ( 1997 ) . World history. Upper Saddle River: Prentic-Hall, Inc. Garrett, L. ( 1994 ) . Anatomy of a pestilence. New York: Webb Publishing. Hecker, J. ( 1992 ) . Black decease depredations Europe. Babington: Bureau of Electronic Publishing, Inc. Strayer, J. ( 1972 ) . Dictionary of the in-between ages. New York: Charles Scribner and Sons Walker, J. ( 1992 ) . Famine, drouth, and pestilences. New York: Glaucestu Press.

Coffee and ethical globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

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UPS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

UPS - Assignment Example UPS had set a record for collecting approximately $57.4 million for its philanthropic cause, exceeding its record in 2004. The company also donated a staggering $52.2 million in 2001 (Pasiuk, 2006, p. 141). The company is ranked higher than FedEx, as it designed more programs that benefit the society. In addition, UPS came up with more ingenious means of helping the community compared to FedEx. The company also aims to boost its profit as well as ensure the welfare of the community. On September 19, 2008, it launched a cargo finance, which is driven to help small clients that need funds (Matthew 2008). FedEx encourages its employees to remain â€Å"absolutely, positively† concentrated on the safety--the highest professional and ethical standards, and to the needs of clients and the communities. It consistently ranked as one of the most trusted and admired employers worldwide. However, it lags behind in its effort to poster the welfare of the society in comparison with UPS (Lawrence, Drzeniek, & Moavendeh,

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Information Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Information Security - Essay Example In addition, customers’ issues produce the need for companies to manage information security in a proper and effective manner. In this scenario, organizations integrate a task to look after customer and governmental proprietary data and details by guaranteeing observance with the laws and regulations. Thus, an organized collection of procedures, people and information technology (IT) structure that protects decisive systems and information, and secure them from inside as well as outside intimidations is known as information security management (ISM) (Sipior & Ward, 2008), (Northern Illinois University, 2007) and (Grimaila, 2004). Security Issue The basic issue which I have chosen for this SLP is about information hacking. In our daily lives we often see this kind of security breach. People around us with negative intentions steal someone’s personal information in an attempt to make illegal use of it. This personal information could encompass various sensitive things suc h as computer passwords, email passwords, social security number, credit card number and a lot of others. The basic purpose of information hacking is to create problems for others. It could be intentional or unintentional. For instance, a hacker can hack a person’s billing information along with secret password and afterward can make illegal use of this information. This security is also very critical for the organizations since organizations can face a variety of information hacking issues. In this scenario, information hacking could be very harmful for the organization. The fundamental principles should be pursued to deal with this issue are: (Sipior & Ward, 2008), (Northern Illinois University, 2007) and (Grimaila, 2004) Information fortification, support and revitalization: Organizational information security measures, comprising systems, computer units, and data along with documentation arrangement, recognized by this rule, should be implemented in such a way that practi cally lessens the danger of inside or outside violations to the safety, integrity and confidentiality of organizational information. In addition, the users of information are anticipated to protect such private information in conformity with permissible responsibilities and managerial guidelines and measures, comprising confidentiality and exposure contracts. They should comprise tactics prepared to re-establish such information to guarantee the persistence of the crucial operations for the organization (Sipior & Ward, 2008), (Northern Illinois University, 2007) and (Grimaila, 2004). Information Integrity: Information security protectors should use appropriate confirmation and corroboration actions with the intention that the information, utilized in the search of assessment and decision making, might be expected to be correct (Sipior & Ward, 2008), (Northern Illinois University, 2007) and (Grimaila, 2004). Information Secrecy and Leakage: The importance of information like an organ izational resource augments through its extensive and correct utilization on the other hand its

The amen corner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The amen corner - Essay Example In the play, in looking at the father of the boy who strayed away from the Lord to do his things, the role is made believable. First of all, the actors play the role in a natural setting, once could see him smoking in one of the scenes. In addition, by being a father also had some grey hairs making him an elder. In regard to movement of the actors around the stage, it was realistic and natural. Different settings were provided and scenes changed appropriately hence the making proper utilization of the stage. In addition, it was affective in telling the story by bringing it to near reality of what actually happens. The arrangement was good as it moved with the story. In addition, the arrangement of performers was within scenes as it also related to the way other performers were placed. The arrangement helped to establish various relationships between scenes. In some cases, there was a little bit of confusion in regard to performer’s placement in regard to scene action. The action though flowed smoothly with minimum

Intrapreneurial marketing plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Learning Disabilities in Adult life Research Paper - 1

Learning Disabilities in Adult life - Research Paper Example t, most challenged adults suffer from depression and, hence, it is or utmost urgency to monitor behavioural and cognitive patterns (Mattek & Wierzbicki, 1998). Another aspect which needs to be examined is the impact on their health and well being as a result of such learning disabilities. This may lead to several psychological issues like aggressiveness, sadness and anxiety (Davis et al. 2009). Accordingly, researchers also have to find out the required treatment and medication in order to control the behavioural issues such adults face. In fact, scholars have proposed antipsychotics as the treatment of preference (Unwin & Deb, 2008). Such adults need to adjust to the complex environment including family, employment, recreation, daily routine and community. We need to examine the impact of the challenges that these adults face and the possible outcomes which may be displayed in their behavioural patterns (Gerber, 2011). In fact, we will further examine the challenges faced in getting employment for such adults and list out specific reasons with special reference to LD adults in the United States of America (Madaus, 2008). Lastly, we examine the success achieved in the career path for adults with learning disabilities and further monitor the remarkable adjustments conducted in behavioural and cognitive aspects by such adults (Kreshner, Kirkpatrik & McLaren, 1995). Cooper, S.A., Smiley, E., Jackson, A., Finlayson, J., Allan, L., Mantry, D., & Morrison, J. (2009). Adults with intellectual disabilities: prevalence, incidence and remission of aggressive behavior and related factors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(3), pp. 217-232. Davis, T.E., Nida, R.E., Zlomke, K.R., & Nebel-Schwalm, M.S. (2009). Health-related quality of life in college undergraduates with learning disabilities: the mediational roles of anxiety and sadness. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 31(3), pp. 228-234. Gerber, P. J. (2011). The impact of learning

Stopping by on a Snowy Evening Essay Example for Free

Stopping by on a Snowy Evening Essay Choose a poem in which the creation of mood or atmosphere is an important feature. Show how the poet creates the mood or atmosphere, and discuss its importance in your appreciation of the poem as a whole. A reflective mood is created in the poem stopping by woods on a snowy evening by Robert Frost. The poem is about man who stops by some woods on a snowy evening. He takes in the lovely scene in near silence and is tempted to stay for longer but acknowledges the obligations he must keep. He also mentions the distance he faces before he can to sleep which by the language used in the poem ‘sleep’ actually suggests death. At first the poem gives the impression that it is simply describing a man who is on a journey and quietly stops to observe the winter weather but through the writer’s techniques of word choice and structure. It becomes apparent that the poem is about his inner feelings towards the place rather than just a description. The mystery surrounding this quiet place causes the poet to stop and reflect on his life. The quiet or reflective mood of the poem is set firstly, by its simple verse structure and close rhyming scheme. The poem has a gentle rhythm almost like a nursery rhyme even stresses on each line and the a,a,b,a rhyming scheme creates a very relaxed atmosphere. This is reinforced by the poet’s use of literally simple words throughout the poem and short, simple sentences. On the surface the poem seems to be simple but the connotations of the words are actually quite complex. The weather and timing of this stop are both significant. It is snowing heavily, with ‘the woods filling up with snow’. This creates an image of the poet losing his tracks and becoming covered in a blanket implying that he wishes to rest here subtly suggestion death. The fact that the poet stops here on the ‘darkest day of the year’ (the day with least hours of sunlight) seems to reflect the poet’s mood of darkness. The poem develops elements of oddness about the poet stopping in this location. As the poet describes how his horse ‘must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near’ implies that the isolated location is not a usual place for the horse and the poet to stop. This again is reiterated in stanza three by the horse giving ‘his harness bells a shake’ in almost a cry out for the poet to hurry up and get moving. However this behaviour of urgency by the horse is answered by the poet taking in the scenery and describing the peaceful scenery of â€Å"sweep of easy wind and downy flake†. The contrast between the bright sound of the ‘bells’ and the implied quietness of the â€Å"easy† and â€Å"downy† reflects the tension between motion and rest which lies at the heart of this poem. Stopping at this location gives the poet the chance to forget about everyday life and causes the poet to reflect on his own life. This therefore highlights the major conflict in the poem as the poet wants to stay in the woods because it is peaceful place and there are no responsibilities in the woods. Describing the woods a â€Å"lovely, dark and deep† again illustrates his fascination towards darkness and the desire of wanting a deep sleep- which both represent death. However the pull outside the woods such as â€Å"promises to keep† and the repetition of the last line â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep† suggests the poet is on stopping at the woods for a momentarily break from a busy and highly responsible life. The main conflict of the poem is the pulls between life and death. The poet describes this complex topic very well by using a simple writing style, rhyme and words which all help contain the poet’s mood and emotional state. The poet does not state points explicitly he rather leaves subtle traces of this remarkable occasion through word choice and metaphors. The repetition of the last sentence is a fitting conclusion for the poem as it allows the reader and the poet to consider the past and the present as well a life and death.

War and the Integration of Ethical Principles under the Golden Rule Essay Example for Free

War and the Integration of Ethical Principles under the Golden Rule Essay In today’s moral climate, where the sanctity of life is unappreciated, it is fair to say that the adoption of a comprehensive ethical approach to human interaction should be based on the golden rule principle adopted by Thiroux. Many wars have been fought throughout the history of time, and the taking of human life is almost universally a part of such conflicts. The Golden Rule appears to be a catch-all principle that has the power to reduce the total amount of harm done to humanity for almost any reason that such harmful actions might be considered. The Golden Rule seems inherently utilitarian, as it accords benefits (or the utilitarian â€Å"good†) to those whose rights are observed, as well as to those whose sense of morality is satisfied in having acted according to this rule (by observing these rights). In fact, it is arguable that all other rules and principles that are cited by Thiroux hinge upon this particular rule, which (if observed) seems to be one that has the ability to improve the quality of life of all humans on the earth. Perhaps the most shameful of all human conflict ends in war, and such conflicts are usually based on rivalries that involve land, retribution, or perceived threats to national security. These problems stem from such vices as greed or hubris, which are in direct conflict with the principles taught by the golden rule. In living one’s life according to a rule that prevents one from performing actions that are likely to make another feel uncomfortable, several of these vices can be avoided. Greed, for example, involves the perpetual desire for and gathering of a particular commodity regardless of the resulting availability and accessibility to others. A person who abides by the golden rule would consider tempering such desires once it appears that such a desire might impinge upon the resource’s availability to others. Not only is this kind, but it is also fair. The principle of justice offers a similar view, which seeks to give to all persons what they are due. If individuals consider themselves as being worthy of such rights as â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,† then those who live by the golden rule also consider this right to belong to others. Fairness and justice would therefore grant these persons are right to their fair share of the resources available here on the earth. The justice inherent in the Golden Rule therefore demonstrates how it acts as parent to the principle of justice. This Golden Rule can be applied to the greed that is evinced when wars break out because of one country’s desire for more land space. This has been evident in many historical events. Thousands of years ago, the Trojan War demonstrated the Greeks’ desire to take over the territory controlled by Troy; Assyrians raided Middle Eastern tribes and countries in order to gain more territory; the European settlers drove Native American’s from their lands in order to expand their own claims. The wars that resulted from these conflicts led to the death of many, and the displacement of many more. However, the application of the Golden Rule would have led to the raiders’ placing themselves in the shoes of their victims, and they would have come to understand the unpleasant nature of the victims’ suffering. The wars and deaths could on that ground have been avoided. Here it becomes obvious that the Golden Rule also contains the essence of the Principle of Goodness. This rule states that the promotion of goodness goes hand in hand with refraining from doing harm to others. When one places oneself in the shoes of others (according to the Golden Rule) it becomes abundantly clear whenever actions tend to do harm to others because of the discomfort one feels when considering the same action being performed upon oneself. When the reasons for which wars are fought are scrutinized, it is evident that the Principle of Goodness is being ignored, and this happens because people refrain from placing themselves in the shoes of others. The Golden Rule’s built-in principle of justice would help alleviate the problem of war. The Value of Life principle advocated by Thiroux can also be seen as an inherent concept existing within the Golden rule, and the application of this principle to war would also help alleviate this burden. The self-centeredness often perceived in humans might be considered a natural trait, when one reflects that the life of every individual revolves inevitably around him-/herself. People consider their lives very important and worth doing almost anything to save. In other words, people generally value their own lives. If the Golden Rule is observed, then not only would people value their own lives, but they would also value the lives of others. This Value of Life principle, shown now to be inherent in the Gold Rule is in complete opposition to the numerous wars that have been (and continue to be) fought on this planet. When people begin to observe the right of others to have life, they are in effect granting to those others a right that they deem extended to themselves. Such a right disallows fighting, malice, and killing for any reason. The Golden Rule also demonstrates its opposition to war in its observation of the Principle of Individual Freedom. In the most literal sense, it opposes the regular practice of war that involves taking prisoners or even enslaving others. Capturing persons against their will directly impinges upon their freedom, as it restricts their movement and their performance of everyday actions such as bathing, eating, sleeping and conversing. If a person inclined to wage war operates by the Golden Rule, he or she will be inclined to refrain from capture, as he/she would not like to be captured in return. In addition to this literal aspect, war also impinges upon individual freedoms to live in the way they prefer. Living in a war zone restricts both movement and thought. Such persons are constantly worried about whether or not they might be caught in the violence that surrounds them. This constant war imposed upon them forces them to constantly think of troubling things rather than on the pleasant or interesting thoughts that they would most prefer to have in mind, such as family, friends, aesthetics or love. These restrictions imposed by war encroach upon Individual Freedom, and are created by persons who do not consider these privileges (granted to them) as rights that should also be extended to other. Of course, war is a complex matter, and it is often the case that the persons who end up performing many of the unsavoury acts are those who are fighting against a previous (or current) threat/invasion. In this case, however, it can still be seen that the initial conflict is caused by those who neglect the principles of the Golden Rule. While at times people are actually forced into murderous or warlike actions that appear to conflict the Golden Rule, careful analysis will usually demonstrate that some disregard of the well-being of others lies at the root of these age-old conflicts.

Capital Punishment Inhumane Immoral Politics Essay

Capital Punishment Inhumane Immoral Politics Essay Capital punishment is defined as execution as a punishment for a person convicted of committing a crime. This form of punishment is usually perceived in the United States as being reserved for crimes such as aggravated murder, felony murder, and contract killing, but in reality the application of capital punishment varies widely. When you look at the world, capital punishment is imposed for a wide array of crimes, such as espionage, treason, as part of military justice, sexual crimes (such as rape, adultery, incest and sodomy), religious crimes such as the formal renunciation of the State religion in Islamic nations, drug trafficking, human trafficking, serious cases of corruption, and in militaries around the world, court martials have imposed death sentences for offenses such as cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny. (Wikipedia.org) It is therefore not surprising that capital punishment has a huge following of supporters both for and against it. Those against it usually center their arguments on the morality of capital punishment. Through my ethics class, I have learned that the best way to evaluate morality is to look at three things: the motivation, the act itself, and the consequences. For capital punishment the motivations are punishment, retribution, and deterrence. The act itself varies, but can be such things as lethal injection, electrocution, and hanging; and of course the consequence is death. Death is by inhumane methods and not only affect the prisoner who is losing his life, but also the person performing the execution. Although capital punishment is legal in many countries and parts of the United States, I seek to prove that it is an inhumane and immoral form of punishment, whose detrimental effects well outweigh the benefits. In order to prove that capital punishment is inhumane, it is necessary to look at the history of capital punishment. The execution of criminals and political opponents has been used by nearly all societies-both to punish crime and to suppress political dissent. The use of formal execution extends to the beginning of recorded history. Most historical records and various primitive tribal practices indicate that the death penalty was a part of their justice system. Historical forms of capital punishment were often extremely violent and repulsing. Some examples of this are: quartering (as seen in The Song of Roland), being devoured by animals, boiling to death, being buried alive, burning (as was done to suspected witches), crucifixion, crushing, decapitation, dismemberment, drowning (like in the mafia movies), and stoning (as seen in the Bible). I list all these horrific methods of punishment by death to juxtapose them with the modern, more humane forms of capital punishment. In the recent history of the United States, capital punishment has existed in the form of hanging, electrocution, and lethal injection. Electrocution and lethal injection still exists to this day. It is true that these modern methods are more acceptable than those used by ancient people, and even some other modern societies but all the current methods are far from humane. For example, electrocution is inhumane because it is extremely painful until the prisoner becomes unconscious and brain death occurs. Anyone who knows how painful it feels to bump into an electric fence would not want to endure death by electrocution. There have even been occasions where the electric chair has malfunctioned, which could prolong suffering. The electric chair should not be considered as a humane method of capital punishment in modern society. Another modern method of capital punishment is lethal injection. Lethal injection was introduced in Oklahoma by Reverend Bill Wiseman in 1977, but the process was originally conceived by state medical examiner, Jay Chapman, and was approved by anesthesiologist Stanley Deutsch. Texas was the first state to use it. It has since been adopted by The Peoples Republic of China, which began using this method in 1997, Guatemala in 1998, the Philippines in 1999, Thailand in 2003, Taiwan in 2005, and in all but 17 states in the United States. Lethal injection uses a combination of three drugs to kill the prisoner: sodium thiopental to induce unconsciousness, pancuronium bromide to cause muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest, and potassium chloride to stop the heart. This is a very humane method of execution compared to all the others; however, it is unclear as to whether the drug sodium thiopental is efficient in maintaining unconsciousness, since it does not do so when used for surgery. Als o, a study done by the University of Miami and published in the medical journal, The Lancer, shows that many of the people performing the lethal injection have no anesthesia training; that the drugs were administered remotely with no monitoring for anesthesia; and that the data was not recorded and no peer review was done. So it is unclear as to whether the prisoners were being executed humanely or if they were in excruciating pain. This form of capital punishment is viewed as the most humane, but in reality it is inhumane just like electrocution. Having discussed the inhumane nature of capital punishment both historically and currently, what are the major arguments in support of it? The Supreme Court of the United States provided two reasons for capital punishment: retribution and deterrence. These are the main reasons that people support it. Many people feel that the punishment should fit the crime. So capital punishment should be the most fitting sentence for the most heinous of crimes. In the same way, capital punishment as a deterrence is supported because it prevents future heinous acts from being committed. This makes people feel safe. Deterrence cannot be effectively accomplished by the alternative to capital punishment, life in prison without the possibility of parole, because it would still be possible for the prisoners to commit crimes, either while in jail against other prisoners or guards, or by escaping from prison. Therefore, capital punishment is accepted as the best form of deterrence. It also gives the victim s family closure knowing the criminal is no longer around to do anyone harm. There are strong arguments opposing capital punishment. Some people feel that it is more of a punishment to make the criminals live in prison, incarcerated for the rest of their lives, rather than having a short life in prison. They believe that prison life would continually punish a criminal for years and years, with death as the only release. These opponents of capital punishment believe that the same objectives would be met by life in prison: deterrence, retribution, and closure. Unlike this closure, the closure received from capital punishment, can be delayed for a very long time due to the built in appeal system under capital punishment. The appeal process also causes the cost of executing a prisoner to skyrocket in relation to the cost of keeping him in prison for life. If we look as California for example, in June 2008, the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice found that California annually spends approximately $137.7 million dollars on the death penalty . By replacing the death penalty with permanent imprisonment, the Commission noted that the state could save in excess of $125 million per year. (Deathpenalty.org) The high cost and long appeal system have caused many pro-capital punishment judges to change their minds. One judge, Judge Kozinsi, gave a speech in which he noted that the number of executions compared to the number of people who have been sentenced to death is minuscule and concluded that whatever purposes the death penalty is said to serve deterrence, retribution, assuaging the pain suffered by victims families those purposes are not served by the system as it now operates. Judge Kozinski added that the costs of death penalty prosecutions far outweighed the results, and that because of the proliferation of such prosecutions there would have to be one execution every day for the next 26 years to handle the volume. He recommended that death penalty prosecutions should only be brought against the most depraved killers. (talkleft.com) Ultimately, the most important argument against capital punishment is that it is immoral. No matter how you look at it, capital punishment is killing, and murder is always wrong! A further look at the morality of capital punishment is needed, because although murder is deemed a moral absolute, this is not always the case. Depending on what form of morality you believe in, murder can sometimes be deemed moral. In ethics class, we looked at five main types of ethical theories. Four of the theories are flawed: utilitarianism, Kantianism (deontology), egoism, relativism, and the fifth, virtue ethics, is not. Let us now examine each theorys view of capital punishment. The utilitarianism theory would view capital punishment as moral. This is because utilitarianism looks at what would make the most people happy. Utilitarianism was founded by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It is a consequentialistic theory of morality. This means that it is only concerned with the consequences of an act. Moreover, utilitarianism is concerned solely with what increases the overall utility, happiness, of a society. This blind concern for consequences and ignoring the minority view is what makes utilitarianism a flawed theory. Therefore, although the consequence of capital punishment is the killing of prisoners, utilitarianism would view this to be moral since it helps society increase their overall happiness. By killing the prisoners the victims family would be happy at the justice being dispensed, and the rest of society would be happy because they would feel safer knowing that the prisoner can never escape and harm them or their families. The utilitarian view d oes allow for life imprisonment as a viable alternative to capital punishment, since the prisoner is still being punished and will not be able to cause the overall happiness of society to diminish. The second theory of ethics is Kantianism also called Deontology. Kantianism views capital punishment as being immoral. Deontology is an ethical theory, founded by Immanuel Kant, that focuses on the rightness or wrongness of intentions or motives behind action such as respect for rights, duties, or principles, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions. It is sometimes described as duty based ethics, because deontologists believe that ethical rules are bound by duty. This theory is flawed because it only looks at intentions and not the act or consequences. Many times good intention can have unintentional bad consequences and vice versa. This is called the double effect principle. Deontologist view capital punishment as being wrong by its nature, a violation of the right to life, which is a universal law for them. They also look at the inhumane ways that capital punishment is carried out. An argument that they make against capital punishment is that by killing the prisoner, it causes the prisoners family and friends to become victims themselves. On the other hand, Deontologists can view capital punishment as moral by saying that it is only natural for the families of the victims to seek retribution for the loss of life, that the punishment fits the crime. The belief is that without proper retribution, the judicial system further brutalizes the victim or victims family and friends, which amounts to secondary victimization. In the context of deontology, life imprisonment cannot be used as a substitute for the death penalty, since any length of incarceration is a violation of the right to liberty. In deontological terms, nothing is gained by substituting the violation of one type of right (the right to life) with that of another (the right to liberty). From the egoism perspective, capital punishment may be viewed as moral. Egoism states that all individual conduct has a motivation. This primary motivation is self-interest. By this theory, everything is fair game. Egoism looks at the motivation as the sole determinate for morality. In egoism, an act is moral if the motivation is for ones own self-interest. That is why it is a flawed theory of ethics. The individual who commits the crime does so out of self-interest, even if it merits capital punishment. I believe that egoism would say that since one person can act out of self-interest and take away the life of another, then equally capital punishment should be an acceptable response. Egoism would also allow for life imprisonment to be an alternative for capital punishment. The final flawed theory of ethics is relativism. Relativism believes that capital punishment is both moral and immoral. Moral relativism is an extreme form of Individualism. Individualism is the belief that all actions are determined by, or at least take place for, the benefit of the individual, not of society as a whole. Moral relativism can also be view as a form of Solipsism, the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist. Relativism does not only have to apply to an individual but it can be a cultural relativism, in which the moral beliefs of a culture is deemed to be correct. If two cultures or peoples beliefs are in direct contradiction, then moral relativism would state that both beliefs are correct. This would make it impossible for anything to be immoral. Therefore, the morality of capital punishment to a relativist depends on who is being asked. Virtue Ethics is the only non-flawed theory of ethics and was founded by Aristotle. One way of looking at capital punishment through Aristotles eyes is to apply Teleology to the issue. Teleology means the end of the process. The end to capital punishment is to put to death the person guilty of the crime. Capital punishment is intended to punish a person by taking his or her life. But there can be a second interpretation of the ethical issue of capital punishment and that is that the end of capital punishment is the prevention of a crime in the first place. Thus according to teleology, capital punishment could be considered to have two different ends. However, this is not the complete picture. Virtue ethics uses the motivation, the act itself, and the consequences to decide morality. I believe that virtue ethics would ultimately find capital punishment to be immoral. The motivations of capital punishment are punishment, retribution, and deterrence. The first and last motives are posit ive ones, and the second is not. The act varies, but can be things such as lethal injection, electrocution, and hanging. The act of killing is a universal law and is always wrong. The consequence of capital punishment, death, does not only affect the prisoner who is losing their life, but also the person performing the execution. The consequences can also be viewed as wrong because it harms people. Since all three criteria combined is wrong, the act is immoral. But this is still not the whole answer. Thomas Aquinas came after Aristotle and revamped virtue ethics. Aquinas believed that although there were moral absolutes and universal laws, it is dangerous to apply it to everyone indiscriminately. He believed that exceptions to all rules are needed since people live in very different conditions. Through this theory, one could argue that the death penalty is immoral but there can be circumstances in which capital punishment is moral. Therefore it is clear that one could reach different conclusions when determining the morality of capital punishment using the five different theories of ethics. Yet a strong case can be made that it is immoral because the motivations (punishment or revenge) the act itself (killing the person by electrocution, lethal injection, or any other way) and the consequences (death of the prisoner, the pain and suffering of the prisoners family, and the psychological effects to the executioner) are all immoral. In conclusion capital punishment is an inhumane form of punishment that has been around for a very long time and should be abolished in these modern times. The execution of a person is cruel, and even lethal injection has not been proven to be painless. Although there are good arguments both for and against capital punishment, the arguments against it whether financial, moral, or other, far outweigh the arguments for it. My personal opinion of the capital punishment is that it is a jus t punishment for the crime committed but should be banned because it is immoral and life in prison offers an alternative punishment that can obtain the same goals. There are also financial ramifications. I believe that the prisoners who are sentenced to death row belong there. In many cases, the way that they are executed is way more humane than how they murdered their victims. It is unfortunate that the process takes so long. As a result, many of the prisoners on death row die of natural causes before their execution date. The prisoners are often kept too comfortable while waiting for their executions. For example, the prisoners have televisions in their cells, and are kept away from other prisoners who may want to bother them. Some prisons even allow the death row inmates to keep cats as pets, and in others, the inmates eat so well that they become obese and are then not allowed to be executed because the lethal injection or electric chair protocols are not equipped for people of their size. Finally I believe capital punishment should be banned because of the cost. I do not think it is right or fair to pump so much money into executing a prisoner.

Changing Family Structure in Modern Society Essay -- Family

This essay will identify how modern day society is changing with regards to family structure in particular marriage, cohabitation, step families and lone parenting explaining how this may or may not impact on parenting practices in turn influencing the outcome of children and the formation of their identities. It will also discuss the Governments role in aiding families and protecting children with regard to current policies and procedures. Also the current perception of childhood and the increasing role media play in portraying child delinquency. Almost every minute of every hour of every day of the year, a baby is born in Britain (Thomas, B and Dorling, D 2007). For young children the initial awareness of behaviour and morals are learned from the home they are born into, children watch, learn and can imitate the conduct of others. Adult’s perceptions of good behaviour will be heavily influenced by their own cultural, religious, social and moral beliefs (Dowling 2005). However the main role of any parent is to contribute to the social development of their child this is supported through teaching social rules and expectations for behaviour. (McCartney & Phillips 2008) Modernity is related to the rise of capitalism, a society that encourages change and diversity. (Haralambos et al 2004) The 1960’s and 1970’s was a turning point throughout Western Europe and the perception of societal standards altered, attitudes towards family structures with regards to childbearing, marriage cohabitation and divorce changed.(Hunt 2009) Within today’s society there are many variations of family units, there are lone parents, blended families, mixed race families, unmarried co-habiting parents, married parents and same sex parents. Many diff... ...://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2004/june/stepfamilies Haralambos, M Holborn,M Heald,R.(2004) Haralambos and Holborn: Sociology Themes and Perspectives Hunt, S A. (2009) Family Trends: British Families since the 1950’s, Suffolk: The Lavenham Press Ltd Hill, M Tisdall, K.(1997) Children and Society, Essex: Addison Wesley Longman Ltd Lee, N. (2001) Childhood and Society: Growing up in an Age of Uncertainty, Buckingham: Open University Press McCartney, K. Phillips, D (2008) Early Childhood Development, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Stones, C. (1994) Focus on Families: Family Centres in Action, Hampshire: The MacMillan Press Thomas ,B Dorling,D (2007) Identity in Britain: A Cradle to Grave Atlas, Bristol: The Policy Press Wyness ,M. (2006) Childhood and Society: An Introduction to the sociology of Childhood, Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan

Parental Involvement in Education and its Effects on Student Academic P

Parental Involvement in Education and its Effects on Student Academic Performance Educational standards have recently become a controversial issue especially in secondary schools. One of the controversial issues surrounding educational standards is the lack of parental involvement. Various forms of parental involvement range from parental encouragement to parental partnership with the school. By examining parental involvement in secondary education, one can determine that positive parental involvement will have a profound effect on the students' academic performance. Defining parental involvement, family relationships and self-esteem, and relationships between parents and teachers can improve parental involvement. Defining Parental Involvement When dealing with the educational system and findings way to improve it, one cannot neglect that parental involvement is necessary. The question that arises from this is, what exactly is parental involvement? According to Catherine Hickmann, in "Future of High School Success: Importance of Parental Involvement," the various forms of parental involvement in secondary schools are parent as a communicator, parent as supporter of activities, parent as learner, parent as advocate, parent as decision maker, parent as volunteer/professional, and parent as home activities teacher. In the article, "Relationships between Parent Involvement and Student Achievement," Joyce Flood uses researchers to break down parental involvement into three categories; parent-child relationships at home, parent training or involvement in performance contracts, and parent-school- community partnerships. These categories can be further defined. Parent-child relationships at home allow... ...ties for students and parents to learn together, and offer community education classes to get parents to come to the school. In the article, "Promoting Parental Involvement," there are more ideas to advance the involvement of parents in education which lead children to excel academically. Conclusion This field of research covered parental involvement and its effects on student academic performance. The focus was on family relations at home and parental involvement at school. When researching this topic, a definition for parental involvement had to be established. The research was not time restricted, since the concern was the general effects of parental involvement in student academics. The research consists of several suggestions on parental involvement, rather than focusing on a specific method in which to involve parents in student education.

Within-Class Ability Grouping Essay -- Essays Papers

Within-Class Ability Grouping As a future educator ability grouping is more than likely going to be a part of my classroom. I think it can and will be a valuable tool in effectively teaching all students of varying abilities. Ability grouping is a greatly debated area in the field of education. Opponents to the practice believe ability grouping is detrimental to learning and student self-esteem, but ability grouping, specifically within-class ability grouping, can be very effective in teaching children. The students are able to learn at a pace that is suitable to their individual abilities and teachers are able to construct lessons that are specifically geared towards each level. Within-class ability grouping necessitates flexibility and frequent interactions between student and teacher to determine whether or not the child is in the proper group. In ability grouping the "high achievers benefit from having to compete with one another" (Hollifield, ERIC database). The low achievers in a group of children of simila r level feel more comfortable and are, therefore, more willing to participate. Children should not be put into groups in every subject area, but rather in a few areas where grouping has proven beneficial. "Low-achieving students seem to learn more in heterogeneous math classes, while high and average achieving students suffer achievement losses—and their combined losses outweigh the low achievers’ gains" (Loveless, internet). Regrouping for mathematics and reading has proven effective. The students are in heterogeneous groups for most of the day, but then are grouped according to level for those two subjects. "Results indicate that regrouping for reading or mathematics can improve student achievement. However, the l... ...teacher Mrs. Petrigala: November 17, 2000; Michael’s first grade teacher Joshua Hammond: November 22, 2000; 10 year old son Sara Hammond: November 22, 2000; 12 year old daughter Works Cited Goldberg, Miriam L., Joseph Justman, and A. Harry Passow. The Effects of Ability Grouping. New York: Teachers College Press, 1966. Hollifield, John. "Ability Grouping in Elementary Schools." [online]. Http://ericae.net/edo/ED290542.htm. Lou, Yiping, et al. "Within-Class Ability Grouping: A Meta-Analysis." Review of Education Journal 66 (1996): 423-458. Loveless, Tom. "The Tracking and Ability Grouping Debate." [online]. Http://www.edexcellence.net/library/track.html#anchor393575. Slavin, Robert. "Ability Grouping and Student Achievement in Elementary Schools: A Best Evidence Synthesis." Review of Educational Research 57 (1987): 293-336.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 UP ON THE ROOFTOP, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK This is what it's all been about, thought Ben Miller as he climbed into the tiny bell tower atop the chapel. It had taken ten minutes to saw through the painted-closed seams of the hatch with the bread knife, but finally he'd made it, thrown the latch, and crawled from the top of the Christmas tree into the bell tower. There was just enough room to stand, his feet on narrow ledges around the hatch. Thankfully, the bell had been taken away a long time ago. The bell tower was enclosed by louvered vents and the wind whistled through like there was nothing there at all. He was pretty sure he could kick through the vents, hundred-year-old wood, after all, then make his way across the steep roof, drop off whichever side looked safe, and make it to the parking lot and the red Explorer he was holding the keys for. Thirty miles south to the highway-patrol post and help would be on the way. All of the years after high school and college when he had continued to train, all the hours of roadwork, all the weights and swimming and high-protein diets, it all came down to this moment. Keeping himself in shape all these years when no one really seemed to care would finally pay off. Anything out there that he couldn't outrun, he could take out with a lowered shoulder. (He'd played one season as a jay-vee halfback in addition to his varsity track career.) â€Å"You okay, Ben?† Theo yelled from below. â€Å"Yeah. I'm ready.† He took a deep breath, braced his back against one side of the bell tower, then kicked at the louvered slats on the opposite side. They broke away on the first kick and he was nearly launched out on the roof feetfirst. He fought to get his balance – turned around on his stomach and scooted backward out the opening onto the roof. Facedown, he was looking down the length of the Christmas tree at a dozen hopeful faces below. â€Å"Hold tight. I'll be back soon with help,† he said. Then he pushed back until he was on his hands and knees on the peak of the roof, cold wetness cutting everywhere he touched. â€Å"Please, bitch,† came a voice from right by Ben's ear. He jumped sideways, and started to slide down the roof. Something caught his sweater, pulling him back, then something hard and cold was pressed against his forehead. The last thing he heard was Santa saying, â€Å"Pretty fucking tricky for a jock.† Below, in the chapel, they heard the gunshot. Dale Pearson held the dead track star by the back of the collar, thinking, Eat now, or save it for after the massacre? Below him on the ground, the rest of the undead were begging for treats. Warren Talbot, the landscape painter, had made his way halfway up the pine-tree trunk that Dale had used to climb up on the roof. â€Å"Please, please, please, please,† said Warren. â€Å"I'm so hungry.† Dale shrugged and let go of Ben Miller's collar, then gave the body a shove with his boot, sending it sliding down the roof and off the side to the hungry mob. Warren looked behind him at where the body had fallen, then at Dale. â€Å"You bastard. Now I'll never get any.† Disgusting sucking sounds were rising from below. â€Å"Yeah, well, the quick and the dead, Warren. The quick and the dead.† The dead painter slid back down his tree and out of sight. Dale had some revenge to take. He stuck his head inside the bell tower and looked down at the horrified faces below. The wiry little biologist was climbing up the Christmas tree toward the open hatch. â€Å"Come on up,† screamed Dale. â€Å"We haven't even gotten to the main course.† Dale spotted his ex-wife, Lena, staring up, and the blond guy who had charged them with the buffet table had his arm around her. â€Å"Die, slut!† Dale let go of the edge of the bell tower and aimed the .38 down the Christmas tree at Lena. He saw her eyes go wide, then something hit him in the face, something furry and sharp. Claws cut into his cheeks and scratched at his eyes. He grabbed for his attacker and in doing so lost his balance and fell backward. He slid down the side of the roof and off the edge onto his feasting minions. â€Å"Roberto!† Tuck yelled. â€Å"Get back in here.† â€Å"He's gone,† said Theo. â€Å"He's outside.† Tuck started to climb up the Christmas tree behind Gabe. â€Å"I'll get him. Let me come up and call him.† Theo grabbed the pilot around the waist and pulled him back. â€Å"Close and lock the hatch, Gabe.† â€Å"No,† Tuck said. Gabe Fenton looked down briefly, then his eyes went wide when he realized how high above the floor he was. He quickly pushed the bell-tower hatch shut and latched it. â€Å"He'll be okay,† said Lena. â€Å"He got away.† Gabe Fenton backed down the Christmas tree. When he got to the lower branches, he felt some hands at his waist, steadying him down the last few steps. When he hit the floor, he turned around into Valerie Riordan's arms. He pushed away so as not to smudge her makeup. She pulled him out of the branches of the tree. â€Å"Gabe,† she said. â€Å"You know when I said you weren't engaged in the real world?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"I just wanted you to know that. In case our brains are eaten by zombies without me having a chance to say it.† â€Å"That means a lot to me, Val. Can I kiss you?† â€Å"No, sweetheart, I left my purse in the car and don't have any lipstick to touch up. But we can knock out one last stand-up quickie in the basement before we die if you'd like.† She smiled. â€Å"What about the kid at the Thrifty-Mart?† â€Å"Squirrel porn?† She raised a perfectly drawn eyebrow. He took her by the hand. â€Å"Yes, I think I'd like that,† he said, leading her to the back room and the stairs. â€Å"What's that smell?† Theo Crowe said, remarkably glad to turn his attention away from Gabe and Val. â€Å"Anybody smell that? Tell me that's not –  » Skinner was sniffing the air and whimpering. â€Å"What is that?† Nacho Nunez was following the smell to one of the barricaded windows. â€Å"It's coming from over here.† â€Å"Gasoline,† said Lena.